Ocean County is a county located along the Jersey Shore in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey, along the Atlantic Ocean. Its county seat is Toms River. Since 1990, Ocean County has been one of New Jersey's fastest-growing counties. As of the 2020 United States Census, the county's population was enumerated at 637,229, a 10.5% increase from the 576,567 counted in the 2010 U.S. Census, making Ocean the state's sixth-most populous county. The 2010 population figure represented an increase of 65,651 (+12.8%) from the 2000 Census population of 510,916, as Ocean surpassed Union County to become the sixth-most populous county in the state. Ocean County was also the fastest growing county in New Jersey between 2000 and 2010 in terms of increase in the number of residents and second-highest in percentage growth. Ocean County was established on February 15, 1850, from portions of Monmouth County, with the addition of Little Egg Harbor Township which was annexed from Burlington County on March 30, 1891. The most populous place is Lakewood Township, with an estimated 102,682 residents as of 2017, up 10.6% from 92,843 at the 2010 Census ; while Jackson Township covers 100.62 square miles (260.6 km2), the largest total area of any municipality in the county.
Barnegat Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the township's population was 20,936, reflecting an increase of 5,666 (+37.1%) from the 15,270 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 3,035 (+24.8%) from the 12,235 counted in the 1990 Census. The 2010 population was the highest recorded for the township in any decennial census.
Barnegat Light is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 574, reflecting a decline of 190 (−24.9%) from the 764 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 89 (+13.2%) from the 675 counted in the 1990 Census. The borough borders the Atlantic Ocean on Long Beach Island and is home to Barnegat Lighthouse.
Bay Head is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 968, reflecting a decline of 270 (−21.8%) from the 1,238 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 12 (+1.0%) from the 1,226 counted in the 1990 Census. Bay Head is situated on the Barnegat Peninsula, also known as Barnegat Bay Island, a long, narrow barrier island that separates Barnegat Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. Together with Mantoloking, Bay Head is considered part of the Jersey Shore's "Gold Coast".
Beach Haven is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey located on Long Beach Island (LBI) and bordering the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 1,170, reflecting a decline of 108 (−8.5%) from the 1,278 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 197 (−13.4%) from the 1,475 counted in the 1990 Census.
Berkeley Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population had increased to 41,255, reflecting an increase of 1,264 (+3.2%) from the 39,991 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 2,672 (+7.2%) from the 37,319 counted in the 1990 Census. the highest recorded in any decennial census.
Harvey Cedars is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 337, reflecting a decline of 22 (−6.1%) from the 359 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 3 (−0.8%) from the 362 counted in the 1990 Census. The borough borders the Atlantic Ocean on Long Beach Island.
Island Heights is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 1,673, reflecting a decline of 78 (−4.5%) from the 1,751 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 281 (+19.1%) from the 1,470 counted in the 1990 Census.
Lacey Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey and is considered part of the Jersey Shore and South Jersey regions. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 27,644, reflecting an increase of 2,298 (+9.1%) from the 25,346 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 3,205 (+14.5%) from the 22,141 counted in the 1990 Census. The 2010 population was the highest recorded in any decennial census. It was named for Continental Army General John Lacey.
Long Beach Township is a Walsh Act Township in Ocean County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 3,051 reflecting a decline of 278 (−8.4%) from the 3,329 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 78 (−2.3%) from the 3,407 counted in the 1990 Census.
Mantoloking is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough had a total population of 296, reflecting a decline of 127 (−30.0%) from the 423 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 89 (+26.6%) from the 334 counted in the 1990 Census. The borough has an estimated summer population of approximately 5,000.
Ocean Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 8,332, reflecting an increase of 1,882 (+29.2%) from the 6,450 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,034 (+19.1%) from the 5,416 counted in the 1990 Census. The 2010 population was the highest recorded in any decennial census.
Stafford Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population increased to 26,535, reflecting an increase of 4,003 (+17.8%) from the 22,532 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 9,207 (+69.1%) from the 13,325 counted in the 1990 Census. The 2010 population was the highest level ever recorded in a decennial census for Stafford Township.
Route 72 is a state highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It runs 28.74 mi (46.25 km) from the Four Mile Circle with Route 70 in Woodland Township in Burlington County to County Route 607 in Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island in Ocean County. Route 72 travels through the Pine Barrens as a two-lane undivided road. After an interchange with the Garden State Parkway, the route becomes a four- to six-lane divided highway through built-up areas of Manhawkin and crosses the Manahawkin Bay via the Manahawkin Bay Bridge onto Long Beach Island.
The Jersey Shore is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about 141 miles (227 km) of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Point in the south. The region includes Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, and Cape May counties, which are in the central and southern parts of the state. Located in the center of the Northeast Megalopolis, the northern half of the shore region is part of the New York metropolitan area, while the southern half of the shore region is part of the Delaware Valley. The Jersey Shore hosts the highest concentration of oceanside boardwalks in the United States.
Long Beach Island is a barrier island and summer colony along the Atlantic Ocean coast of Ocean County, New Jersey. Aligned north to south, the northern portion generally has more expensive low-density housing, whereas the southern portion possesses higher-density housing and considerable commercial development. Long Beach Island is 1-2 miles away from Mainland New Jersey. The primary industries include tourism, fishing, and real estate. The only access point to the island by land is a single causeway.
"Pine Robbers" were loosely organized, criminal, gangs and marauders who were British sympathizers and Loyalists during the American Revolutionary War and used the Pine Barrens of New Jersey to wreak havoc in the area. The pine barrens created densely forested terrain where concealment of guerrilla and criminal activities could easily be carried out.
Double Trouble State Park is located in Lacey and Berkeley Townships in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The park was once the Double Trouble company's company town. The park's wilderness is part of the Pine Barrens ecosystem. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry.
Toms River is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. Its mainland portion is also a census-designated place of the same name, which serves as the county seat of Ocean County. Formerly known as the Township of Dover, in 2006 voters approved a change of the official name to the Township of Toms River, adopting the name of the largest unincorporated community within the township. Located at the heart of the Jersey Shore region, the township is a bedroom suburb of New York City in the New York metropolitan area and a regional commercial hub in central New Jersey.
John Bacon, was a leader of the Pine Robbers, a band of Loyalist guerrilla fighters who hid out in the Pine Barrens of south-central New Jersey and preyed upon Patriots toward the end of the American Revolutionary War. The group was responsible for the October 1782 Long Beach Island Massacre, which occurred after hostilities between the United States and Great Britain had been put on hold pending treaty negotiations. He and his band were relentlessly pursued thereafter. Bacon was killed the following March while resisting capture.
